GRACE SAT DOWN on one of the sofas in Max’s hotel suite. Her heart raced with anticipation as he handed her a glass of wine and sat facing her. He looked petrified, and that made Grace a little more nervous than she would have liked. “Okay, so what’s the big secret?” she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “First, did anything strange happen last night?”

“What do you mean? You were with me.”

Max shook his head. “No. After you went to sleep.”

She shifted in her seat, not sure how much to share.

“Tell me, love. It’s okay.”

“Well, I had some really vivid dreams.” She cleared her throat and shook her head as flashes of the sexier parts came to her mind.

Max took her wine glass from her and set it next to his so he could grasp both her hands. “You and I in my bedroom...me between your legs?”

“Ohmigod, yes.”

“Then a goddamn car alarm going off?”

She gasped and pulled her hands from his. “Yes. How did you know?”

“Because I gave you those visions...well, not the car alarm, that was someone in the parking lot, but the others I gave you...including the follow-up of riding in a meadow and then making love by the water?”

“What?” Grace let out a nervous giggle. “What do you mean?”

“In the dream, do you remember sitting by the water and looking down at your hand?”

She nodded.

“Was there something on your finger?”

“Yes. A really expensive-looking ring. It had really cool filigree or something on it.”

“This one?” he asked as he pulled out a velvet box and opened the lid. Nestled in the deep blue velvet sat an intricate ring of woven white and yellow gold with a diamond the size of Grace’s head. It was the ring she’d dreamed of the night before in vivid detail. She let out a squeak and rose to her feet.

“Six carats is not quite as big as your head, love.”

She jabbed a finger toward him. “How did you know what I was thinking? And how did you know about the ring?”

“Because I can read your mind and I can speak into your mind...and I gave you the dream.”

“I don’t understand.”

I can speak into your mind.

“You cannot.”

I am right now.

“How are you doing that? Why aren’t your lips moving?” she asked.

He smiled. Because I can speak to you telepathically.

“No, you can’t.”

He chuckled. “Yes, I can.”

She shook her head and stepped away from him when he stood. “This is impossible.”

“Don’t freak out on me, love,” he begged. “Take it a moment at a time, okay? You can ask me anything you like.”

“What am I thinking right now?”

He smiled. “Nothing.”

“Give me a second,” she groaned.

Unicorn farts.

He chuckled. “Unicorn farts?”

“Lucky guess.”

“Right. Because unicorn farts is so normal to think of.”

She frowned. “None of this falls under the category of normal, Max.”

“Sorry, baby.”

She turned away from him. Four score and seven years ago...um...inalienable rights? Dang it, I should have paid more attention in history class.

“Four score and seven years ago,” he repeated. “Yes, you should have paid more attention. Even I know the rest of the Gettysburg Address, and inalienable rights wasn’t in that speech.”

Grace gasped and faced him again. “How are you doing that?”

“I know this is a lot to take in,” Max said. “But will you come and sit down so I can at least try to explain?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “No.”

“Give me some time, love. All will be revealed.”

“You’re scaring me,” she admitted, finally looking at him again.

He closed the distance between them and took her hands. “I know, baby, but just stick with me and we’ll sort it out.”

She calmed at his touch and felt like her heart was beating differently. What she couldn’t understand was why.

“Your heartbeat is slowing to match mine,” he explained.

“What?”

“Your body is so in tune with mine that your heartbeat is slowing to match mine. It’s how it works.”

She groaned in frustration. “How what works?”

He pulled her onto the sofa, making sure they stayed connected. “I am from an ancient people. One that has clans scattered over a few select parts of the world, but our origins are Icelandic, with one or two of the older clans from Scotland.”

“Okay,” she said, slowly. “I don’t know what any of that means. What are you, exactly?”

“We are Cauld Ane, which loosely translates to ‘cold one.’ We are of Viking heritage and we live much, much longer than humans and can do things humans can’t.”

“I feel like you’re reading from a script.”

“Sorry,” Max said. “Pepper thought it would help if I gave you some back story.”

“Who’s Pepper?”

“She’s Connall’s ma—ah, wife. Con’s my closest friend. Pepper’s American and used to be human.”

“Used to—what?”

Max grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to blurt that out.”

“What do you mean, ‘used to be human’?” Grace tried to pull her hands away. “Are you saying you’re not human?”

“Don’t pull away, love. I need you to know I’m telling you the truth.”

Grace stared at him. She knew he wasn’t lying. She could feel it in her bones, even though she didn’t know how that was possible.

“It’s because we’re connected.”

“Stop doing that!” she snapped.

“Sorry.” He smiled. “Does it help to know you can read my mind?”

“No.” She wrinkled her nose. “Mostly because I don’t think I want to read your mind.”

Max chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“Are you...um...trying to tell me that you’re like a vampire or a witch or something like that?”

He shook his head. “Not even close. We are of a different race, just not human.”

“Can you read everyone’s minds? Talk to everyone...telepathically?”

“No. Just our mates.”

“Mates?”

“You’re my mate, Grace. The one and only person created just for me.”

She tried to pull away again, but he held fast. “Please, Max. I need to think.”

He let her go, but she could tell he wasn’t happy about it.

Grace crossed her arms, rubbing them for warmth. “How am...ah...how was I created just for you?”

“That’s something I can’t explain. When we turn twenty-five, we have reached our ár mökunar, ah, mating year, and our mate is known to us...well, they are if we are on the same continent. I can only assume the universe chooses them for us.”

“Or God,” she countered.

Max smiled. “Yes, sweetheart, perhaps it is God.”

“So, how long have you known that I was your mate?”

“From the moment I saw you.”

“But you didn’t know I was your mate until then? You didn’t meet someone else you thought might be your mate before now?”

He shook his head. “Until they invented airplanes, I didn’t travel outside of Scotland, so I always wondered who you’d be. I’ve waited a very long time for you.”

“So, you knew I was your mate in Scotland—wait, what? What does the invention of airplanes have to do with anything?” she asked.

“I don’t sail well, so until then, I didn’t get out much.”

“But planes were invented in the early nineteen-hundreds. Are you trying to tell me you were around when the airplane was invented?”

“Well—”

“You can’t be much older than me, right?” she interrupted. “Maybe thirty?” She asked the question, but knew in her gut she wasn’t going to like the answer.

“I’m older than thirty.”

“Thirty-five?”

“No, Grace, I’m not thirty-five.”

“But you said you didn’t form the band in the eighties,” she continued.

“Baby, I see you trying to spin this in your mind, and I want to give you time to process, I really do, but you need to know the truth. All of it.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I want to know the truth.”

Max cocked his head. “You’re either going to hear it from me, or you’ll read it in my mind when you’re not prepared for it. Which would be easier for you?”

She wrinkled her nose again. “Neither.”

Max gave her a gentle smile. “I was born in 1415—”

Grace raised her hands. “Stop.”

He reached his hand out. “If you touch me, you’ll know that I’m telling you the truth.”

She shook her head as she stood, trying for distance.

“Grace,” he said, his voice sounding annoyed. “You are not this person.”

“What person?”

“The person who hides behind ignorance.”

“You don’t know,” she grumbled.

“I do know.” He waved his hand. “Come here, love. Let’s hash this out.”

She blinked back tears, overwhelmed with the information, even though she knew it wasn’t all of it.

Max sighed and rose to his feet. “Baby, come on. I’m here. Don’t be frightened. I’ve got you,” he whispered, and wrapped his arms around her.

Grace nodded into his chest. “I don’t know why I’m fighting this. You know...you. Your story. Us. I believe you. But that’s stupid. I shouldn’t believe you, because people don’t live to be six-hundred-some-odd years old, right? And certainly not people who look in their twenties. You should be shriveled up like a prune and near death.”

Max chuckled as he rubbed her back. “You have an extreme streak of logic, sweetheart, which makes it difficult for you to see something illogical, but it also makes you able to call bullshit, bullshit, so it’s a double-edged sword. This is why I want you to be able to feel me. You need to know I’m telling you the truth.”

“When you say feel me, what do you mean?”

Max pulled her back onto the sofa. “I don’t know if I can explain it. It’s like a vibration. A “knowing” of sorts. Like Niall. He can feel his mate, knows she’s here somewhere. In the States, or perhaps Canada. North America, basically. Because we’re on the same continent, our hearts reach for each other.”

“Like magnets?” she asked.

“Actually, yes, that’s probably a great analogy. Once magnets are close enough to one another, they connect.”

“Okay, so if you were here ten years ago, why didn’t you feel me?” she asked.

He sighed. “It wasn’t quite ten years ago, actually. We were in the U.S. the second week of January. I can’t explain why I didn’t feel you. You would have been about sixteen or seventeen?”

“I can explain it,” Grace said.

“Oh?”

She nodded. “I bet that was when Charlotte and I went with a group from school to Africa to help build a school.”

Max scowled. “And your parents allowed you to go somewhere so dangerous?”

“Yes. It was fine, Max. We were perfectly safe.” She rolled her eyes. “I remember it was right after New Year’s when we left, because Chuck complained about it the entire time we were gone.”

“Why did she complain?”

“A couple of days before we left, she saw some film about an Egyptian plane that had crashed into the ocean, killing everybody on board—I don’t remember how many, but it was a lot. They were coming up on one of the anniversaries of the accident so they’d made a documentary of it. She managed to get on the plane with me, but said she’d tempted fate and wasn’t going to do it again. No more flying over oceans. So much for our grand plans to see the world together.”

Max chuckled. “Perhaps she should meet Niall.”

“Why? Niall doesn’t like to fly either?”

“He hates to travel, period.”

“Is that why you don’t tour much?”

Max nodded. “Aye. He’s offered to quit and help us find another drummer, but he’s always been the drummer for Fallen Crown, and it just wouldn’t seem right without him.”

“I totally get it.” She glanced up at him. “Did you really give me that dream?”

He nodded.

Grace rolled her eyes. “Was it necessary to go into so much detail, Max?”

He grinned. “Well, no, probably not. I got a little carried away. I wanted to show you how much I loved you and how I plan to love you, mostly because I can’t wait to bind you—”

“Bind me?”

“Aye,” he said. “When we find our mates, we go through a binding ritual. It’s similar to your human wedding service. Vows are spoken and then our ceremony is consummated, but what happens between mates is both a physical and a spiritual transformation. We are connected forever, and only part of the bond is broken with death.”

“Which part?”

“The part that makes us only able to be with the other person sexually and—”

“Wait. Meaning you can’t cheat on me?”

He nodded. “Aye. It’s impossible.”

She let out a snort. “Oh, I bet that’s what you tell all the girls.”

“Goddammit, Grace.” Max stood and dragged his hands down his face. “You’re determined to make sure this fails, aren’t you?”

Grace squeezed her eyes shut. Was that what she was doing? She bit her lip and blinked back tears as she analyzed her motives. He was right.

“I know I’m right,” he snapped. “And I’d very much appreciate it if you’d stop trying to disbelieve everything.”

She swallowed. “You have to admit, this all kind of far-fetched. I mean, outside of the physical attraction, we have nothing in common. We aren’t equally yoked, so-to-speak.”

“I disagree. We both love horses and music, singing—”

“Okay, okay. I get it.”

He sat beside her again. “If you really look at this, you’ll see that the truth is we have more in common than you think.”

She gave him a reluctant smile. “You are not that smart, Maximilian.”

He grinned. “Yes I am.”

“Let’s revisit the cheating part. How am I supposed to believe that once we’re together, you can’t step out on me?”

“Because I haven’t had sex with anyone since the second I met you.”

“What?” She narrowed her eyes. “Really?”

He nodded. “I couldn’t...can’t. As soon as I knew who you were, I was done. So, even if you decided that you didn’t want me to bind you...which you can...I’d never be able to sleep with anyone else unless you died.”

“So I can’t either?”

He sighed. “This is where it’s a little different. Because you’re human, you aren’t subjected to the emotions I feel. So, right now, you could marry someone else and...” He shook his head, his face pinched in pain.

Grace grasped his arm. The connection calming both of them. “So are you saying that I will have the ability to cheat...not that I would...but I could?”

He shook his head. “Once I bind you, you’ll become Cauld Ane and you’ll feel as I do.”

“What do you mean I’ll become Cauld Ane?”

“Your body will go through a conversion, and you will be physically like me.”

“So, this isn’t like in the movie Highlander, then? I won’t age while you stay young and gorgeous?”

“No, you and I will age at the same rate. But you’ll also be forced to live within a few boundaries.”

“Like?”

“Like, you won’t be able to tolerate temperatures over sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, which is why we take precautions during the warmer months.”

“Is that why you asked me what my heater was set at?”

“Aye. I have to be careful when I’m going into a new place, that it’s safe.”

Grace frowned. “What happens if you went out during the summer?”

“I would die.”

She gasped. “What? Seriously?”

He nodded. “There are very few things that will hurt us and only one thing that will kill us, and that’s heat.”

“What things hurt you?”

“Almonds, extract or the nut, and a drug called Red Fang. It’s a flower native to Iceland, but it’s grown all over the world now and used as a weapon on occasion.”

“So, if I go through this conversion, I won’t be me anymore? Will I remember my family? Or my old self?”

“You’ll still be you, sweetheart. Your body changes, but not your mind or your soul.” He squeezed her hand. “You’ll be able to heal me as I am able to heal you.”

Grace’s mouth dropped open. “I do hope your next words aren’t, ‘I’m related to Jesus of Nazareth.’”

Max chuckled. “Not even close. But I can heal you and anyone related to me. And I can tell if someone, or something, is sick.”

“You took my migraine away and then my flu. Can you heal yourself?”

He nodded. “Once we reach ár mökunar, we can heal ourselves and members of our immediate family. I also have the gift of suggestion. I can make anyone...well, any human, outside of you...do what I want them to do.”

“What do you mean, outside of me?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You are...ah...immune to me in that regard.”

She sat up on her knees and frowned. “Is that what you were doing at church? Trying to force me to go out with you by using ‘suggestion’? Is that why I felt all weird when you stared at me?”

“What is the American saying, ‘I plead the fifth’?”

Grace sighed. “Is that why Niall was laughing so hard?”

“Aye,” Max grumbled. “He continued laughing, by the way. He loved that you bested me.”

Grace shook her head. “That wasn’t really my intention, but I’m glad I have a choice. If I didn’t, I’d question everything. You get that, right?”

“I do.” He grimaced. “I’m sorry for trying to manipulate you, love.”

“I know, Max.” She bit her lip. “Are you really strong?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“Nothing. It’s silly.”

“Tell me,” he pressed.

“I saw you punch the car in the garage at the restaurant, and I could’ve sworn it moved.”

He sighed. “It did.”

She gasped. “Wow. Will I be that strong?”

“Well, no, because you’re not a man.”

Grace raised an eyebrow. “Are we adding sexist to your list of sins?”

Max laughed. “No, not at all. I would love for you to be that strong, but the truth is, I will have been Cauld Ane for a lot longer than you, and most men have more muscle mass anyway, so you have two factors that mean you won’t be as strong as me. However, you will be stronger than any human...male or female.”

“Well, that’s kind of cool.”

“Aye.” He frowned. “Full disclosure, love. My power of suggestion is the reason I was able to join you in your dreams. I still can’t make you do anything you don’t want to, but it’s the reason we can be together in our sleep.”

“I really don’t know how to respond to all of this.”

“I know. It’s a lot to take in.” Max smiled and pulled her against his chest. “I do have something else to ask you...outside of a proposal.”

“Oh, did you propose? I must have missed that part.”

Max chuckled. “When I propose to you, it will be properly, and after I speak to your father.” He ran his thumb over her knuckles. “I have to return to Scotland after the D.C. show, and I’d like you to come with me.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“At least a month.”

“Oh.” Her heart dropped. “Do you have to go back so soon?”

“Aye, love. I have to attend the coronation of our new queen.”

“You know a queen?”

He chuckled. “Aye. Samantha is mate to the king, Kade, who is Connall’s brother.”

“So, your best friend’s a prince.”

Max nodded.

Grace sat up again and took a deep breath, then another.

“Come here,” Max said, and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I’ve got you, baby.”

She laid her cheek against his chest, relishing the calm flowing through her. “All of this is so...I don’t know...weird, I guess.”

“I know.”

She sighed. “I do love you, though.”

He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I know.”

She smiled. “You are such a jackass.”

Max laughed. “I know that too.”

Grace sat up, balancing herself by grasping the back of the sofa. “What happens when two Cauld Ane people meet...ones who are mates?”

“Well, if they’re of age, the man binds her and they live happily ever after, so to speak.”

“But what about planning for a wedding and stuff? Is it just wham, bam, thank you ma’am?”

“We don’t do weddings...well, let me back up. We haven’t done weddings in the past, although, when Kade met Samantha, he bound her and then they had a wedding here for the benefit of her family. Typically, we bind our mates, then the next day, the parson records it in our ancestral book, and we have a reception.”

“That’s actually kind of cool.”

“I think so.” He stroked her hair. “But we can do whatever you want to do, Grace. My only request is I’d like to bind you at home.”

“Hold on there, skippy. I have yet to receive or accept a proposal, so you’re jumping the gun a bit, don’t you think?”

He grinned. “Will you marry me?”

“What happened to asking my father?”

“I will. We’ll just flip-flop the order of the proposal.”

She rolled her eyes. “Max.”

“Look, if you want romance and roses, I’ll give you romance and roses, but you’ve never struck me as the type who tolerates it.”

She tried to bite back a smile, but failed. “Okay, maybe you know me a little.”

“More than a little,” he said. Then he laughed, and held up the ring again. “So, the question remains, love. Will you marry me?”

She pushed his hand with the ring back to his lap. “Can I think about it?”

He frowned. “What if I said you couldn’t?”

“Silly question, I guess,” she conceded. “I just need a little time. I’m only now processing the fact that I love you, despite the crazy story you’ve told me. I need to know that I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do, not just that I’m gaga for you.”

Max chuckled. “You’re gaga for me, eh? I suppose that’s a good start. You take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. I wouldn’t even if I could.”

“Thank you.”

“Will you come to Scotland with me after the show?”

“Yes, Max, I’d love to.” She raised an eyebrow. “Does your king live in a castle?”

Max grinned. “Aye, lass. He does. A few times a year.”

“Oooh, does that mean we can visit?”

“Yes, sweetheart. We can visit. I’ve actually been invited to stay there during the coronation. I was going to decline, since my home is so close, but if you’d like to experience medieval living, I’ll accept.”

“Um...yes, please.” She cocked her head. “Will they mind if I come?”

“Baby, you are the most anticipated arrival next to Pepper’s baby. No, they won’t mind.”

“What do you mean, anticipated?”

“They were all at the concert the night I met you. Do you remember me pulling my friends onstage?”

“Vaguely. I remember a woman coming on and singing with you, I think.”

“That was Pepper.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh.”

“And Connall is the one who played guitar.”

Grace let out a quiet whistle. “Wow, they were gorgeous. Are all Cauld Ane that beautiful?”

Max laughed. “Well, I don’t know that I can speak to our entire people, but I will say that you’ll fit right in.”

“You’re such a charmer.” She tapped his cheek. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“I think I’d like that in writing, love.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Max grinned. “Anyway, the group knew the second we met that you were my mate.”

“How?”

“There’s a charge in the air. It’s not really something I can describe, but suffice it to say, there was no doubt who you were. And I have a feeling Niall’s been updating them hourly on my progress of finding you.”

She fiddled with a loose piece of thread on one of the pillows. “Will they like me, do you think?”

“They will love you. How could they not?” He smiled. “You ‘manage’ me.”

“Call you on your crap, you mean?”

“That too.”

She settled herself back against his chest and they sat silently for several minutes as Grace processed everything Max had told her.

Is it too soon?

No. When you know, you know.

She smiled against his chest. You’re probably biased, though.

Regardless. I’m still right.

Grace sat up again. “That is so weird.”

“It is a bit surreal, eh?”

She nodded. “You have to promise no more dreams.”

He shook his head. “No way. Because we can meet there while we sleep.”

“Okay, fine, but no more sexy ones. Good lord, I blushed all day because of you.”

“Sorry, love.” Max laughed. “I thought you’d never go to sleep, though. Do you typically stay up that late?”

“I’m a night owl, but working means I have to force myself to go to bed early. Except on my birthday. It’s my and Charlotte’s tradition.”

“Ah, makes sense. Well, how about we make the subject choices together in the moment as we dream? Unless, of course, you let me bind you and we can start playing in person.”

She gripped his chin with a groan. “You are a ridiculous person.”

“Maybe.” He kissed her and smiled. “Or I could just be eager to start our life together.”

“Maybe so.”

He rose to his feet and grabbed the wine. “More?”

“Yes. I think I’m gonna need it.”

He poured and then sat next to her again. “I’m sorry, Grace.”

“For what?”

“For not being more prepared for you.”

Grace snorted. “Because I was so prepared for you.”

Max chuckled. “I guess we’re even, eh?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. I’m obviously the far more open-minded one, since I’m being so very much more patient with you.”

Max narrowed his eyes. “Oh, really?”

She nodded. “For instance, I don’t growl at you when you do something I don’t like.”

“No, you do more of the high-pitched Pterodactyl squawk.”

“Excuse me?”

Before she could react, Max was stretched out on top of her, his hand at her waist.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

He grinned. “Whatever do you mean, sweetheart?”

“Max,” she warned, but it was to no avail.

He dug his fingers gently into her side and Grace let out a squeal of laughter. The torture continued for several seconds, just until Grace had a window of opportunity and turned the tides on him. He barked with laughter but managed to grab her hands again and pin them above her head.

She blinked up at him. His eyes were dark with desire and her heart raced as she saw the promise of things she probably had no idea existed in those sea blue depths.

He smiled slowly and then covered her mouth with his, keeping her hands still pinned above her head. Grace sighed, squirming under him as he projected sexy images into her mind. She was naked and his head was between her legs, sucking her clit while he rolled a nipple between his fingers. She couldn’t stop a whimper as the need to go further made her head spin.

Max broke the kiss and let out a groan of frustration. “I’m sorry, baby. That backfired on me.”

“And me,” she complained.

He sat up and Grace took a minute to catch her breath before doing the same. Max sat with his hands on his knees, eyes closed, and lips pressed together in a thin line. Grace waited until he relaxed before dropping her head against his shoulder.

“I should probably get you home,” he said.

She shook her head. “Just a little while longer?”

“If you’d like.” Max smiled. “You know, if it were up to me, you’d stay all night.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah...will you?”

She smiled. “Yeah, honey, I’d love to.” Grace texted her mom to let her know she wouldn’t be home, and then snuggled up to Max again. “So, what are we going to do?”

“Movie and midnight snack?” he asked.

“You really can read my mind.”

Max chuckled, kissing her quickly before calling room service. He loaned Grace a pair of sweats, far too long for her, but much more comfortable than jeans to sleep in. After their burgers were delivered, they talked until well into the morning, never getting around to watching a movie.